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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · band · calf · roll · hide · mouse · suit · scale

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a ring
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stock — shares
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. scale — in music
  10. stock — goods
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. roll — a list
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com